Phonographic apparatus



Nov. 11, 1941. F. E. RUNGE PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 11, 1941, F. E. RUNGE PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnnentor (.Ittorneg Nov. 11, 1941. F. E. RUNGE 2,262,148

PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1940 3 Sheet-Sheet :s

Patented Nov. 11, 1941 PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Frank E. Runge, Oaklyn, N. J., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 29, 1940, Serial No. 343,116

8 Claims.

This invention relates to phonographic apparatus, and more particularly to the carriage mechanism for supporting and driving the cutter head in recording machines of the type adapted to record sound upon a blank disk for immediate playback, the present invention being in the nadisclosed in my aforementioned copending ap-- plication but which is of considerably simpler construction. 1

More particularly, it is an object of my presen invention to provide an improved, compact carriage mechanism which is positive in action and which is capable of various adjustments necessary to the recording of a completely satisfactory record.

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved cutter head supporting carriage which may be easily manipulated by the user either to remove the cutter from engagement with the record blank or to bring it into engagement therewith.

Still another object of my present invention is to provide an improved cutter head supporting carriage mechanism by means of which the depth of the cut of the recording element can be easily and quickly adjusted either for gradual and fine adjustments or for abrupt and quick, relatively great adjustment to enable the cutting of (a) a signal groove of requisite depth, and (b) a relatively deep terminal groove which may be availed of to operate a suitable stop mechanism, automatic record changing mechanism, or the like. 7

Another object of my present invention is to provide an improved cutter head mounting by means of which the cutter head can be easily and quickly adjusted on its carriage to ensure a proper angular relation between the cutting stylus and the surface of the record blank.

A further object of my present invention is to provide an improved mounting for the recording mechanism by means of which it may be easily and rapidly adjusted as a whole with reference to the plane of the turntable.

Still a further object of my present invention is to provide an improved shaving collector for collecting the shavings cut in the blank disc by the cutting stylus.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide an improved cutter head mounting and feeding mechanism as aforesaid which is relatively simple in construction, is easy to adjust and operate, is comprised of a minimum number of parts, and is highly efllcient in operation.

In accordance with my present invention, I provide a lead screw on a frame member one end of which is mounted on the motor-board in a manner to permit vertical adjustment thereof relative to the plane of the turntable, the other end of the carriage resting on the turntable and carrying the driving mechanism which couples the rotating turntable to the lead screw for delivering power thereto. Rotatably and slidably mounted on the lead screw which acts as a guide therefor is a sleeve provided with an operating handle on which is mounted eccentrically to the axis of the lead screw a pivoted lever having a half-nut or other suitable follower which cooperates with the lead screw and through which longitudinal movement is imparted to the supporting sleeve by the lead screw. A mounting yoke is freely mounted on the aforementioned sleeve, so that the sleeve is rotatable not only on the lead screw, but also within the mounting yoke, the mounting yoke pivotally carrying the cutter head. The mounting yoke is also provided with two adjusting devices which are connected to the cutter head, one of the adjusting devices being arranged to alter the depth of cut of the recording stylus either gradually for fine adjustment, or abruptly and quickly for sudden, greater adjustments, and the other adjusting device being arranged to change the angularity of the cutting stylus relative to the record blank.

The novel features which I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of one embodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing a recording machine in accordance with my present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof on the line IIII of Fig. 1 and showing the cutting stylus in engagement with the record blank,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the cutter head in various positions elevated from the record blank,

frame 2 I.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line I V--V of Fig.

' mer of which extends a motor shaft 1 terminating in a spindle 9 to which a turntable H is suitably secured, and the latter of which has extending therein an internally threaded sleeve i3 which secured to the motorboard. Threaded into the sleeve I3 is a bushing I5 which rotatably receives Y a downwardly extending pin H on a yoke l9, the yoke |9 carrying a pair of conically tipped bearings which pivotally support one end of a By turning the bushing l5 in the threads of the sleeve l3, the bushing l5 can be raised or lowered and locked in any desired position by means of a set screw 23, and since the yoke I9 is rotatable horizontally within the bushing l5 and the frame 2| is rotatable vertically on the bearings 20, it is obvious that the frame 2| is universally adjustable relative to the turntable II to cause the frame to assume any desired angular relation with respect to the turntable.

The upper end of the spindlev 9 is conically tipped and has resting thereon a shaft journaled in the frame 2| and formed with a conical seat or bearing in its lower end. The shaft 25 carries a worm 21 which meshes with a gear 29 fixed to a short shaft 3|. The turntable H is provided with a. plurality of circumferentially distributed openings 38 which are radially spaced from the spindle 9 and which receive driving pins threaded into a somewhat spool-shaped coupling member 91 having a neck or central portion 91a intermediate its length for a purpose presently'to be set forth.

The shaft 25 extends down through the coupling member 31 and is connected thereto by means of a diametrically extending cross pin 39, the lower conical seat of the shaft 25, which is formed on a greater angle than the conical tip of the spindle 9, resting on the spindle tip. The

construction is generally similar to that disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Raymond F. Brady, Serial No. 276,604, filed May 31, 1939, and assigned to Radio Corporation of America. It will be obvious from the foregoing description that power may be transmitted from the motor shaft 1 to the turntable ll, thence through the pins 35, the coupling member 91 and the cross pin 39 to the shaft 25 and its worm 21 which, in turn, drives th gear 29 and its shaft 3|.

The frame member 2| includes a pair of tie bars 4| and Ma and rotatably carries a lead screw 43-which is connected to the shaft 3| by a one-way spring clutch 45 one end of which is fixed to the shaft 3| and the other end of which is wound loosely on the adjacent end of the lead screw 48. The spring clutch 45 is so arranged that when the shaft 3| begins to turn it tends to wind the spring 45 tightly around the lead screw and thereby drives it. The opposite end of the lead screw 43 extends beyond the frame member 2| and has secured thereto a handl 41 by means of which the lead screw 43 may be turned manually in the same direction as the spring 45 tends to turn it, this being provided for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Mounted on the lead screw 43 for both rotation and longitudinal sliding movement thereon is a combined supporting and operating sleeve 49 (see Fig. 8) provided with a forwardly extending operating handle 5| and with a rearwardly extending projection 53 which carries a pin 55. The-sleeve 49 is also provided with a slot 51 which extends radially inwardly thereof a distance sumcient to expose the lead screw 43. A lever 59 which is pivotally mounted on the handle 5| in eccentric relation to the axis of rotation of the lead screw 49 is provided with a half nut 6| or other suitable follower which extends through the slot 51 and cooperates with the lead screw 43, the follower 6| being always constrained toward the lead screw 49 by a spring 63 one end of which is fixed to the handle 5| and the other end of which is secured to the lever 59. The lever 59 is also provided with a toe 65 which is adapted tocooperate with the tie rod 4|a for a reason to be shortly set forth.

Freely mounted on the supporting sleeve 49 is a mounting sleeve 81 within which the sleeve 49 is rotatable on the lead screw 43. the latter acting as a support for the entire assembly, and the sleeve 61 being confined between a shoulder 59 on the sleeve 49 and a locking ring 68 fixed to the sleeve 49 so as to prevent longitudinal movement thereof along the sleeve 49. The sleeve 6'! is provided with a pair 01' downwardly extending arms 61a constituting a vertically extending yoke, and with a pair of parallel, forwardly extending plates 61b constituting a horizontal yoke. Pivotally mounted on the lower ends of the yoke arms 61a and extending rearwardly therefrom is a tiltable rocker 59 having a forwardly extending arm 69a thereon, a bracket or carriage "II being pivotally mounted on the rocker 99 and secured to a si'gna. tramlating device 13, such as a cutter head carrying a cutting stylus 15. It will be clear from the foregoing description that the rocker 69 is free to rock on the yoke arms 81a and that the carriage II and the cutter head 13, in turn, can tilt or swing on the rocker 59.

Secured to one side of the carriage H is a plate 11 provided with a laterally extending inclined projection I9 constituting a cam with which a pin 8| cooperates, the pin 8| extending laterally from a lever 83 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 85 carried by one of the yoke arms 81a. A coil spring 81 which is coiled around the pin 85 and has one end secured to its mounting arm 61a and its other end secured to the lever 83 constantly constrains the lever 83 against the pin 55.

When the cutting stylus 1.5 is in operative engagement with a disk record blank R on the turntable II, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the right hand end of the lever 83 held against the pin 55 by the spring 81 and the pin 8| out of engagement with the projection or cam plate 19. To move the cutter 13 to an inoperative position, it is merely necessary to raise the handle 5|. During initial movement of the handle 5|, the sleeve 49 rotates on the supporting lead screw 49 and within the yoke sleeve 81 and the pin 55 acts on the right hand end of the lever 83 (as viewed in Figures 2 and 3) to turn the lever 89 on its pivot pin 85 in a clockwise direction against the action of the spring 81. This initial rotation of the operating sleeve 9 causes the play between the pin 8| and the cam plate I9 to be taken up, and when the pin 9I engages the cam plate I0, it raises the bracket or carriage II about its pivot, there- 'by raising the cutter head and its stylus I slightriage bracket II.

As soon as initial raising of the handle 5| from the position shown in Fig. 2 toward the solid line position of Fig. 3 is begun the lever 59 quickly moves over toward the tie rod a until its cam edge 59a engages this tie rod after which, as the handle 5i is moved toward the solid line position of Fig. 3, the rod Ma, acting on the cam edge 59a, cams the lever 59 away from the lead screw 99 so that the half nut Si is disengaged from the lead screw. Thereafter, since the sleeve 69, the cutter I9 and the yoke sleeve Bl are all tied together for movement as a unit, continued clockwise rotation of the handle 5i about the lead screw 43 (as viewed in Fig. 3) will raise the cutter I3 to the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 3, the lever 59 being further cammed upwardly by the rod Ma until the toe 95 thereof passes it, whereupon the spring he pulls the toe 95 down around the tie rod Ma and the assembly becomes locked in its fully raised position. To release the assembly from this position, the thumb may be placed against the handle El and the index finger against an extension 56 on the lever 59 and the two pressed together. This releases the toe or latch 65 from the tie rod tie and permits lowering of the assembly until a bumper tld on one of the arms 61a engages the rod ll, whereupon further counter-clcckwise rotation of the assembly as a unit is arrested. However, the handle 5| and its sleeve 49 can continue such rotation until the pin 55 abuts against a rearward extension I0 on the sleeve 5! at which time the stylus I5 is already back in engagement with the record blank R.

Mounted between the plates 61b of the hori zontal yoke of the sleeve iii are a pair of thumb nuts 89 and iii, the thumb nut 89 threadedly receiving a hollow screw 93 formed with a longitudinal slot 93a and provided with a head 95. A pin 9? extending through the upper plate 61b and into the slot 93a prevents rotation of the screw 93. A rod or plunger 99 is slidably received in the screw 93 and has its upper end threaded for reception by the internally threaded central hub I00 of a hollow manipulating cylinder IOI, the head 95 of the screw 93 being received within the cylinder IN, and a coiled compression spring I03 being interposed between the head 95 and the upper end of the cylinder IOI around the hub I00. A loop of wire I05 is secured to the lower end of the plunger 99 and extends into the slot 93a of the screw 93 whereby the plunger 99 is prevented from rotating in the screw 93, a sleeve i0! being also secured to the lower end of the plunger 99 and providing a shoulder which abuts against the lower end of the hollow screw 93.

One end of a tension spring I09 is secured to the loop I05, and its other end is secured to a pin III carried by aprojection H3 on the car- By turning the thumb nut 89 one way or the other, the hollow screw 93 is raised or lowered correspondingly. When the screw 99 is lowered, it pushes down against the sleeve I01 to lower the plunger 99 and its loop I09, thereby releasing some of the tension in the spring I09 to permit the carriage II and the cutter I3 to move downwardly toward the record blank R somewhat and thereby increase the depth of cut made by the cutting stylus 15. When the thumb nut 89 is turned in the opposite direction, the hollow screw 93 is raised, thereby compressing the 0011 spring I03 somewhat and causing the latter to correspondingly raise the plunger-99 and its loop I05 to thereby increase the tension on the coil spring I09 somewhat and thus raise the stylus I5 slightly from the record blank to cause it to cut a more shallow groove. Manipulation of the thumb nut 99 provides a very fine and very gradual adjustment of the cutting depth of the stylus I5. If it is desired to form a deep groove in the record blank R very quickly, such as a terminal groove used for actuating an automatic stop device or the like, the cylindrical head I0! is pressed down quickly to force the plunger 99 down suddenly and to an extent determined by the spacing between the top of the upper plate 67b and the lower end of the cylindrical head lei. Thus,

the tension in the spring I09 is greatly relieved very quickly and the stylus i5 is permitted to cut deeply into the record blank R. The depth of the relatively deeper groove can be varied by adjusting the cylindrical member illl on the plunger 99 which will determine the distance between the upper plate ill?) and the lower end of the member ltl. The second thumb nut 9i receives the threaded end of a link M5, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a forwardly cred (as viewed in Fig. i) the opposite end of the rocker 69 will be raised, and this will raise th bracket M and the cutter head 13 to bring the cutting stylus l5 into a more vertical peel-- tion. (3n the other hand, when the thumb nut 9i is manipulated to raise the link M5, the rocker 69 is rotated in a clockwise direction to lower the bracket ll, whereupon the cutter head is tilted to cause the cutter I5 to assume a smaller angle with respect to the record blank R. In any case, the parts are so related that the angular adjustment of the needle takes place substantially about the point of contact of the needle I5 with the record blank R as a center. Once the proper angular adjustment of the needle I5 is obtained, the thumb nut 99 may be manipulated to provide the proper cutting depth therefor, and the recording may be made.

When the recording is completed, the lead screw handle 41 may be manipulated by hand to turn the lead screw 43 more rapidly than during the recording so as to cut a coarser spiral in the blank (this being permitted by th clutch 45) and at the same time, if desired, the cylinder IOI may be pressed down to cause the stylus I5 to cut deeply into the blank R to form the well known terminal groove. The shavings cut from the blank R by the cutter I5 wind up in helical fashion and tend to move toward the center of the disk due to the springiness thereof. By making the coupling member 31 spool-shaped,

as shown in Fig. l, the shavings wind themselves somewhat loosely around the neck tile as the turntable rotates and collect on the coupling member. When the recording operation is finished, the handle Si is raised to the dot-anddash line position of Fig. 3 whereupon the entire mechanism may be lifted from the record by pivoting around the pivots 2t, and the shavings can easily he slipped off from the spool-shaped member ill in the form of a ring.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided an improved cutter head mounting and shaving collector which have many advantages not found in prior art devices. Although 'i have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many other modifications thereof are possible. I therefore desire it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In phonographic apparatus, the combination of guide means, a supporting member slidably and rotatably carried on said guide means, a mounting carried by said supporting member, said supporting member being rotatable on said guide means relative to said mounting, a sound translating device pivotally carried by said mounting, means for effecting pivotal movement of said sound translating device relative to said mounting, and means for looking together said supporting member, said mounting and said sound translating device for rotation as a unit on said guide means.

2. In phonographic apparatus employing a record, the combination of guide means, a supporting member slidably and rotatably carried on said guide means, a mounting carried by said supporting member, said supporting member being rotatable on said guide means relative to said mounting, a sound translating device pivotally carried by said mounting, means responsive to rotation of said supporting member relative to said mounting for effecting pivotal movement of said sound translating device on said mounting to effect disengagement of said device from the record, and means for thereafter locking together said supporting member, said mounting and said sound translating device for rotation as a unit on said guide means whereby continued rotation of said supporting member on said guide means will effect removal of said device from adjacent the record to a position remote therefrom.

3. In phonographic apparatus employing a record, the combination of guide means, a supporting member slidably and rotatably carried on said guide means, a mounting carried by said supporting member, said supporting member being rotatable on said guide means relative to said mounting, a sound translating device pivotally carried by said mounting, means responsive to rotation of said supporting member relative to said mounting for effecting pivotal movement of said sound translating device on said mounting to effect disengagement of said device from the record, means for thereafter locking together said supporting member, said mounting and said sound translating device for rotation as a unit on said guide means whereby continued rotation of said supporting member on said guide means will effect removal of said device from adjacent the record to a position remote therefrom. and

aeeares means for releasably latching said unit in said last named position.

i. In phonographic apparatus employing a record, the combination of guide means, a supporting member slidably and rotatably carried on said guide means, a mounting carried by said supporting member, said supporting member being rotatable on said guide relative to said mounting, a sound translating device pivotally carried by said mounting, means responsive to rotation of said supporting member relative to said mounting for efiecting pivotal move:- ment of said sound translating device on said mounting to effect disengagement of said device from the record, means for thereafter locking together said supporting member, said mounting and said sound translating device for rotation as a unit on said guide means whereby continued rotation of said supporting member on said guide means will eiiect removal of said device from adjacent the record to a position remote therefrom, and means carried by said supporting member for releasable latching said unit in said last named position.

5. The invention set forth in claim 2 characterized in that said guide means is constituted by a rotatable lead screw, characterized further by the addition of means carried by said supporting member and normally cooperating with said lead screw to efiect movement of said sound translating device across the record, and characterized still, further in that said last named means is so arranged on said supporting member that rotation of said supporting member to disengage said sound translating device from the record will effect disengagement of said last named means from said lead screw.

6. The invention set forth in claim 2 characterized in that said guide means is constituted by a rotatable lead screw, characterized further by the addition of a pivoted lever on said supporting member having a follower normally cooperating with said lead screw to efiect movement of said sound translating device across the record and having also a latch thereon, said lever being so pivoted on said supporting member that rotation of said supporting member to disengage said sound translating device from the record will effect disengagement of said follower from said lead screw, and characterized still further by the addition of means for cooperating with said latch when said unit is moved to said remote position for releasably locking said unit in said position.

7. In phonographic apparatus, the combination of a rotatable lead screw, a sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted on said lead screw, a yoke member loosely carried by said sleeve whereby said sleeve is rotatable within said yoke member, a sound translating device pivotally carried by said yoke member, means responsive to initial rotation of said sleeve on said lead screw in a predetermined direction relative to said yoke member for effecting pivotal movement of said sound translating device on said yoke member to disengage said sound translating device from the record, and means on said sleeve adapted to engage said yoke member to effect rotation of said sleeve, said yoke member and said sound translating device as a unit on said lead screw upon continued rotation of said sleeve in said predetermined direction to remove said sound translating device to a position remote from the record.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7 characterized in that said sleeve is provided with an operating handle, characterized further by the addition of a lever pivoted on said handle eccentrically to said lead screw, said lever having a follower normally in engagement with said lead screw to effect movement of said sound translating device across the record, and also having a latch thereon, said follower being disengaged from said lead screw upon said initial rotation of said sleeve, and a locking bar adapted to be engaged by said latch for releasably locking said unit in said remote position at the conclusion of said continued rotation of said sleeve. FRANK E. RUNGE. 

